1

December, 2016 Newsle er

Our Association grew out of the initial meeting of eight former World War II members who got together in the spirit of fellowship and camaraderie in Reno, Nevada, on September 11-12, 1972. The goal and hope was for continued growth and expanded interest in the Nation's finest heroes. The members attending the initial meeting were: Carl Whitesell, Dan Cauffiel, George Jaffe, Ed Jurkens, M.P. Nelson, Arthur Downs, and C. Scott.

Since then, our organization has grown, and we have expanded to include the children of the 307th and their families and friends. Our mission is to insure that future generations never forget the sacrifices that these men made for them and for our country. Each year we hold a reunion in a different part of the country to celebrate and reminisce, catching up with old friends and making new ones. We are the Family! We are the Children of Heroes

The 307th Bombardment Group (HV) Association, Inc. The Long Rangers

2

November, 2016 Newsle er

NOTICE: The Website version of this newsletter is in full-color and contains links to additional pages and other resources. Unfortunately, the black and white, printed version of the news-letter prepared for members who do not have email access is not able to provide the links and additional resources. You may wish to provide us with an e-mail address belonging to a friend of relative who lives near to you. This will enable you to receive updated correspondence with full features on future mail-ings. Please consider this upgrade. Have your friend or relative send an email to member.services@307bg.net with the following message: Please send 307th BG correspondence for [ your full name here] to my email address noted above. [ Friend’s name here ]

The 307th Bombardment Group (HV) Association, Inc. The Long Rangers

3

307th Bomb Group Associa on

It just keeps ge ng be er and be er!

Jim Walsh

The holidays are approaching and our members, veterans and supporters will be busy shopping for gifts, decorations, and more.

Now you can shop on line, pay a lower price for brand named items, get free shipping ….AND…. Amazon.com will credit the 307th Bombardment Group with a donation. Tell your Friends and Family! Give them the Donation Link, be-low.

Start with a Smile CLICK RIGHT HERE TRY IT NOW

4

Books Wri en by 307th BG Members

Available in the PX

The Rodney Letters by Ann Williams-Warner, a supporter, reunion host and proud member of the 307th BG Association, is a historical account of the life of a B 24 nose gunner in World War II. Letters written over 70 years old written by John Rodney Wil-liams and family reveal a time historians have rarely touched, the air war in the Pacific. Hard Cover—Autographed

The Cylinders - We are the One: Long before the thought of WWII, when an accidental discovery in South America leads to a lifetime pact between total strangers, only one among them takes the promise to heart and passes a legacy down to his next generation. Driven by an intense desire to unleash the secrets that lie inside the mysterious cylinder given to him by his infamous father, one man starts a chain reaction of events that draws the attention of the F.B.I. , C.I A. and a cadre of governmental security agencies from around the globe. The author offers a cohesive collection of carefully placed flashbacks that begin to assemble the puzzling details of a mystery which, once solved, opens a surprising new set of challenges. The final discovery baffles the minds of the world’s leading scientists and military leaders, leaving them with much more than they ever bargained for. A 4-Star Review by Mrs Betty Pelle, wife of Thomas Pelle (deceased) a Veteran Member of the 307th BG: Betty Pelle. Jacksonville, FL I Just finished reading The Cylinders by Donald Charles Calarco. The story surely held my interest. It was a quick easy read. I can't wait for the next installment. I enjoyed the description of the characters at the begin-ning, Characters were well defined. This was very helpful by allowing me to be immersed in the story from the beginning. The story captivated me and aroused suspense. First the kidnappings, then the unveiling of the cylinders . The final chapters had me glued to the page. The story line stayed on track and was so very descriptive and visual. The concept was very intriguing and the flashback treatments were so easy to follow. The story and the characters left me craving for more with the expectation of the sequels. Especially to the characters and their obvious future activities. I also enjoyed the history and chronology. I found myself be-coming acquainted with the lab work which was not my expertise. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good solid plot, interesting characters, and a very unique writing style. Why only 4 stars? I'm waiting until I have read all 5 in the series. E Book

5

Books Wri en by 307th BG Members

Available in the PX

The Chaplain’s Cross, by 307th Member Ed DeVos, is a thought-provoking, inspirational, historical novel honoring the chaplains and the men who serviced in the US Army Air Corps in World War II. It is a story of how God knits together all things for His glory.

The story follows two men—one an army air corps chaplain and the other a Japa-nese fighter pilot—as the two prepare for a battle that takes place over Truk Atoll on 29 March 1944, a battle in which the 307th Bomb Group is awarded a Distin-guished Unit Citation. The Chaplain’s Cross weaves together the actions of these two men, exploring their views of their faith as well as how they interact with those around them. Each man faces a crisis in conscience in his own way, leading to a surprise ending that continues to have implications for us today.

Highly Recommended “I was mesmerized by the way the author captured the realism of how World War II was experienced through the eyes of the soldiers and their families … A must-read for all generations.”

Tell Me the Truth - Is Santa For Real is the diary of a 5 yr. old girl. Gianna had crept down the stairs to watch Santa place pre-sents under her tree every Christmas morning for as long as she could remember.

When a neighboring parent, who meant no harm, decided to share her own belief that Santa is just a man in a red costume and he is-n't real at all, her world collapsed and left her feeling betrayed, cheated and questioning the authenticity of all that she had learned about the jolly man himself! Not wanting this discovery to have an effect on his granddaughter's Christmas Spirit, her

grandfather sets a plan into action that would hopefully ease her pain and renew her trust in her original beliefs. The results were much more than he had expected.

There are surely many stories of how this family issue has been handled. This is one that worked.

By Gianna Calarco-Medina and Donald Charles Calarco E Book

6

Books Wri en by 307th BG Members

Available in the PX

Support the 307th BG Authors Books make great presents

Visit the Book and e-Book Sec on of the 307th PX.

h p://px.store.307bg.net/t/books

7

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to all who celebrate, This year has been a busy one for me personally and has had its high and low’s. It’s at this time of year that I am thankful for

living in FL when so many are having snow and cold weather. My poor bones can’t take that. It’s also when we welcome friends and family into our home, spread the good cheer to all and watch shows about how wonderful life is and the true reason for the season. We should also remember December is when we remember Pearl Harbor and the fallen family members that many lost during that time and why our family mem-bers were assigned to the 307th Bombardment Group. So this year I want to say that I feel that everyone in the 307th is like family to ours. We are all one giant family that is drawn together by these great men that gave their youth, time and some their lives. And so from our house to yours we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & Any Holiday that your family celebrates. We are the children of heroes and every one of them is dear to me.

8

h ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr4-akvoJuU

The USAF Band sneaks in a Flash Mob to send you the Christmas and Holiday Spirit.

Click the image above and turn on your speakers.

Published on Nov 30, 2016

We're especially grateful this holiday season to all of the veterans and their family members and thank them for their sacrifice and service. The USAF Band

9

While being a “Helicopter Crew Chief Instructor,” I’d go to Washington DC , with a few buddies almost every weekend. We’d do the Smithsonian and all. On the way back to Ft. Eustis (125 miles), we’d often stop for something to eat. One time, it was getting late. We landed in Falls Church , VA. We saw an old general store that was still open. We walked around on the old creaky floors looking for Fritos or some-thing. I came across an old wire frame post card holder. It was full of WWII post cards ... a penny a piece! I asked the guy, "How much do you want for the Post Cards?" He said, “A penny. They have been here ever since I was a kid.” I counted them ... 300 plus. I gave him $4.00 and I got the rack, too. I know some of you are too young to recall these posters and WWII, but they were a part of my life and others who are now "older than dirt.” These are great. Pass them along, especially to your older e-mail friends. I wonder whatever happened to this kind of thinking. I got a lump in my throat when I read through them. I "grew up" thinking: patriotism, it is the AMERICAN way! I am glad to see that somebody saved them. The last one says it all!

Dave Richards

An American Veteran

The a ached printable versions are for you to cherish. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Please Click /\ Button HELP the

Annual Membership Renewals are due on January 1st of each year. If your 2017 Membership Dues are not paid yet, you may bring your membership up to date inside the above survey or…. CLICK HERE TO RENEW YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP OR ADD A NEW MEMBERSHIP h p://px.store.307bg.net/t/membership

21

May all the veterans, members and families of the 307th Bombardment Group Association have a happy, healthy and safe Holiday Season

I had some time on my hands, so I dressed up my Jeep and gave it the Christmas Spirit. Hope you like it!

Merry Christmas John Stiles

307th BG Member

22

The 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 15 April 1942. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of our founding, our successor unit, the 307th Bomb Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base, will be hosting a Gala Celebration this coming Spring, from March 28 to April 2, 2017, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Senior leadership of the Wing participated in our Nashville reunion in August of this year, and our World War II veterans unanimously agreed we should join the 75th Anniversary celebration in Shreveport. So, “y’all come, now!”

CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM h ps://fs18.formsite.com/doncalarco/form7/index.html?

23

and The Newsle er / Video Archive

Yes indeed! The 307th BGA has

a Facebook Page, and everyone is welcome to stop by, upload some photos, post a few stories and start communica ng with fellow members, family members and guests.

Click HERE to open Facebook!

Or, just search [ The Long Rangers - WWII Heroes of the Pacific ] on Facebook. Oh! And don’t forget to “LIKE” the page!

OK! When’s the last me you stopped by the Newsle er Archive? h p://www.307bg.net/Newsle ers/index.asp A lot of work went in to building these pages (actually, it was more fun than work) and there is a lot to see.

You don’t have to miss out on anything! Stop by soon.

Come LIKE US on Facebook! Post photos! Ask Ques ons! Share some stories! Ask the Historian!